An informal interview is an interview that takes place in a casual setting, such as over coffee or lunch.
Although an informal interview is not structured like a traditional, and more formal, job interview, the aim is the same, to assess whether the candidate would be a good cultural fit for the company.
Sometimes, informal interviews are also used to assess a candidate’s interest in possibly joining a company or to sell the company as a good place to work.
Informal interviews are becoming popular, with some companies including them as part of their hiring process to fit in with their company culture.
Coffee interviews can be held as a stepping stone to a second round formal interview and should be seen as more of a getting to know you chat. So what questions should you ask that doesn’t make your coffee chat formal, but lets you get to know the candidate on a personal level and to see if they are a suitable fit for the role?
At Rezoomo.com we have put together 6 back pocket questions for you to ask, so you always have something up your sleeve.
I know about your experience in [industry] but tell me why did you choose this career path?
Tell me about some of the projects you have undertaken in your current/previous role
Where do you see your career going from here?
How would you describe your own working style?
What excites you most about this position?
What do you like to do outside of work? Remember the idea here is not to grill the candidate but to get to observe their personality, so keep the formal interview questions to a minimum
